What Makes A Grateful Alcoholic?

Recovering from alcohol addiction is by no means an easy process. Recovery is a life long process, and any recovering alcoholic knows that in order to stay healthy and sober it is necessary to constantly use the tools that they developed in treatment in order to fight the urges and triggers that are simply a reality in day to day life. One of the most powerful and effective tools that any recovering addict has at their disposal is to cultivate a sense of gratitude for the many people and things that they are lucky enough to have in their life. Feeling a sense of gratitude is a key element of remaining happy and healthy because remaining grateful greatly lowers a recovering addict's chances of feeling depressed or angry and resentful. Gratitude also helps a recovering addict stay mindful of the things in their life that they would jeopardize if they were to break their sobriety. So how exactly does a recovering alcoholic work to find gratitude?

Continuous Mindfulness

One main way that a recovering addict can stay grateful is by making a habit of staying as conscious as possible of the things for which they are grateful. For many people this may mean starting every day thinking about what they are grateful for in there coming day. Perhaps this could be something as simple as waking up in a comfortable bed or having a job to go to that will allow them to pay for the roof that they have over their head. Getting into the habit of starting the day with an intentional meditation on gratitude is a great way of keeping the notion of gratitude ever presence in one's thoughts. The longer one does this with consistency, the more gratitude becomes a part of every day life.

The Thankfulness That Comes From Not Using

When a person is a recovering alcoholic, they can always be grateful for the fact that they are not drinking. With this idea comes an endless list of things to be thankful for: that one wakes up without a hangover, that one remembers everything they did last night, that one has strong relationships that are not damaged or ruined by the destructive behaviors that often accompany drinking. When a person becomes sober, they suddenly find that a large number of things in their life improve. Being free from alcohol abuse often means finally being able to accomplish goals that were impossible while alcohol was being abused. It may mean that a whole world of potential is opened up for a recovering addict that they did not even know was possible while they were using. While alcohol is a disease that often puts an alcohol in dangerous and scary places, sobriety is a state that is full of hope and potential and thus reasons to be grateful.

Gratitude and Less Resentment

Many people believe that getting in the habit of staying thankful for the things in one life is one of the most effective and important ways that happiness can be achieved. The fact is, the brain can only hold one thought at a time, so it is impossible to be resentful of regretful while being grateful. This means that while remaining consciously grateful, the destructive feelings of resent and regret can be avoided, if even for a moment. Avoiding resent is a wonderful way to feel empowered and to recognize that one does in fact have control over their life and their decisions, regardless of the events that may have transpired in their past. For this reason, gratitude is a very constructive and important habit.

Comment Via Facebook

Dylan, writes:
Cindy, my 19 year old son has been using drugs on a weekly basis for at least 2 months. Today I contacted my health insurance provider about sending him to rehab; they will only cover out-patient care. What does this mean?

Cindy, writes:
Dylan, generally outpatient care is very structured, with psychotherapy and family therapy. These programs require that the teen spend 8 hours or more during the day at the facility, but the teen is home at night. Day treatment programs usually have the same features (individual, group, and family counseling) as inpatient programs. But day treatment normally costs less.

Jennifer, writes:
Cindy, yesterday we found what turned out to be Cocaine in my daughter Sarah’s room. Now that I think of it, Sarah is suddenly very argumentative, barely sleeps, and is very anti-social. You should also know that her father and I separated 6 months ago, approximately when the changes occurred. What can I do?

Cindy, writes:
Jennifer, it is clear that Sarah is having a difficult time with acclimating to the separation. She is acting out and avoiding her feelings by using Cocaine. The best course of action is a residential treatment program. Sarah’s Cocaine use be addressed through individual, group, and family therapy. Hang on, it only gets better from here.